


Tormented Temptress

by LucindaAM



Series: A Day in the Life [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Light Swearing, Multi, No Smut, potential series, powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26739109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucindaAM/pseuds/LucindaAM
Summary: You get injured on a simple mission of the utmost importance. Steve worries. Bucky Frets.
Relationships: Bucky/Reader (budding romance), Steve/Reader
Series: A Day in the Life [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946242
Comments: 20
Kudos: 102





	Tormented Temptress

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Thepracticalheartmom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thepracticalheartmom/gifts).



> Thanks to Thepracticalheartmom for the writing prompt!

“Holy shit!” Tony screamed, picking up his precious coffee and jumping up from the table. You tried to smirk but it felt like more of a grimace instead. 

“Language.” You coughed. 

“I need medical to the conference room, NOW!” Nat called into the intercoms. 

“Geez, princess you look like hell.” Rhodey observed. 

You tried to push yourself up, but your head swam and you collapsed back onto the conference table you’d just teleported onto. “I feel worse.” You groaned. 

Dark spots appeared on the sides of your vision and you could feel the sticky warmth of your own blood pooling on the table around you. 

“Someone call Steve!” 

“Where is he anyway?” 

“. . . on his way.” 

The voices were starting to bleed together until suddenly, a distinct one you’d never forget flooded your ears. 

“Come on, doll, stay with me.” 

You looked up at Steve and laughed. “Since when did you have two heads, huh handsome?” 

Steve’s two heads both went white. “Where’s the med team?!” He demanded. 

Hands were pushing on the bullet wounds in your torso, but you tried brushing them aside. You were tired and it HURT. Why wouldn’t they just let you go to sleep? 

“So tired.” You murmured, eyes slipping closed. 

Rough hands forced your eyelids open. “No, no, no, doll. You need to stay awake. Can you stay awake? Please? For me?” Steve’s blurry face appeared in your line of vision for a moment before he was craning over his shoulder demanding the med team again. 

“What were you up too, anyway?” The worried face of Natasha suddenly appeared in front of you. Her eyes were pinched together in that way that told you she was trying to keep you talking. 

“Had to get the plans.” You giggled. “The birthday plans.” 

Nat and Steve exchanged a nervous glance before the med team finally burst into the room and started poking and prodding you into submission. Weakly, you tried to bat their hands away too, but your hands were quickly captured by Steve and held above your head and not in a fun way. 

You tried pouting but let out an unexpected scream instead when one of the med techs pulled your torn suit away from the gaping hole in your side. 

Somehow, Steve managed to lose what little color was left in his face. 

“We gotta move her!” 

“We need blood, stat!” 

“Get the injection started!” 

Too many voices were flooding your ears, making it hard to understand what was going on. Your head lolled. 

“She’s fading!” 

Steve pressed a quick kiss to your lips. “Come on, baby, you’ve gotta stay. Wake up for me, will ya? Don’t know where you’re trying to disappear to, but you gotta stay . . . okay?” 

You tried to nod, but you were quickly losing all the feeling in your body. In the back of your mind, you realized that was probably a bad sign, but the thought was so fleeting, you barely had time to register it before it was slipping way. 

“No, no, no.” Steve was muttering. 

Your eyes started slipping shut again. 

Suddenly, a firm hand slapped you across the face, jerking your head to the side. “. . . The hell?” You muttered drunkenly, your eyes flying open briefly. Steve opened his mouth, ready to tear into Nat whose hand was raised for another slap, but she shot him a look. 

“Stay awake, soldier. That’s an order.” She said firmly, glaring at you. 

You whimpered as you nodded; even that small movement enough to send ripples of pain shooting through your already wrecked body. 

“We’ve gotta move! Now!” The medics ordered again. You watched as strangers filled your line of sight and Steve and Nat faded from view. 

“No, no, no, no, no.” You whimpered, arms flailing. “Stevie? Nattie?” 

“We’re here, we’re here.” Steve murmured beside you as he and Nat kept pace beside the med team as they flew through the halls. “We’re not going anywhere.” 

“Nattie . . . the plans.” 

“The . . . birthday plans.” She nodded. 

“Need to get the plans. They’re in the bag.” 

Nat and Steve exchanged a glance before Nat turned and raced back towards the conference room. Steve kept talking to you, hoping the sound of his voice would be enough to keep you awake. “You did good, doll. You got us the plans. Now you need to take care of yourself. You gotta fight for yourself. Can you do that? Can you do that doll?!” 

“Gotta fight . . . gotta . . . fight.” You mumbled, eyes slipping closed again. 

The small heart monitor the med team had hooked up to let out a long drawn-out beep. 

“No!” Steve screamed, reaching for you. 

One of the medics spun around and put a hand on Steve’s chest just as the rest of the team push you through a set of double doors. “We’ve got it from here, Captain Rogers.” The medic said. 

“But she’s . . . !” 

“We’ll take good care of her, but it’s best if you stay out here.” The medic gave Steve a firm look before she turned and looked at the two guards who were always stationed in the lobby for just this reason. She gestured with her head before she slipped through the doors you’d just disappeared through and the two bulky men moved subtly in front of the doors, blocking Steve’s entrance. 

For a moment, he was tempted to fight them. Lucky for them, Nat ran into the room just then and shoved a bloodied folder in Steve’s face. 

“What’s this?” He asked as he took it from her. Steve’s stomach rolled as he did his best to ignore the fact that it was your blood staining manilla folder. 

“The plans she risked her life for. It’s not good, Steve.” 

Steve opened the file and glanced at its contents. “Bucky know?” He asked darkly. 

Nat shook her head. “No one else has seen them.” She said. 

Steve nodded. He took one last look at the doors you’d just disappeared through and then gestured towards the door. “Let’s get to work.” 

Bucky sat by your bed, tensing every time anyone so much as looked into the room. Your surgery had been a success and the doctors said that now you were just sleeping of the anesthesia. 

Bucky kept his hands tucked in his jacket, his head bent. For a long time, he sat there, just listening to the steady sounds of your breathing but eventually the silence started getting to him. 

“Hi, doll.” He murmured. His voice was so low, he could hardly hear it himself even with his enhanced hearing. “I don’t think we’ve officially met yet. I’m . . . I’m James. Or Bucky, maybe?” 

Bucky huffed a quiet sigh. “I guess . . . I guess I still don’t really know myself yet.” 

Bucky’s eyes flickered to your form lying on the bed and then back to the floor. “You’re probably wonderin’ why I’m here. Steve asked. He asked me to stay with you. He had to leave . . . He didn’t say where he was goin’. I remember enough to know that it probably wasn’t anywhere good.” 

Bucky leaned towards you and hesitantly reached his flesh hand out to take one of yours in his. “He was real worried when you showed up here lookin’ like hell, doll. Never seen him so worked up before.” 

Bucky paused when he thought he felt a flicker of feeling move through your hand. He dropped your hand back to the bed and leaned back in his chair so fast he was surprised it didn’t topple over. You didn’t bat so much as an eye and he let out a breath of relief. 

“Sorry.” He murmured. “Not . . . I’m not good with people yet.” 

Bucky ducked his head and stuck his hand back in his pocket. “Don’t suppose you’ll wake up and tell me everythin’ is gonna be okay? You have a face a fella can’t help but trust. And Steve picked ‘ya so I know there’s gotta be a spark of something special in ‘ya.” 

Bucky risked another glance up at your face. A flicker of a smile crossed his before his eyes were drawn to an intimidating figure standing in the hallway looking in through the window. Tony Stark was a ball of barely contained fury as he glanced from you to Bucky and back again. 

Bucky hunched in on himself and felt the tell-tale signs of a panic attack start rising in him. The look on Tony’s face was the same as the look on every handler he’d had for the past seventy years. It was a look that screamed that nothing Bucky said or did would ever be enough. The look that screamed that he had the power to make Bucky’s life a living nightmare and didn’t care what havoc he wrecked as long as he was still in control. 

Bucky closed his eyes and focused on taking in deep calming breaths. He was safe here. Steve had promised he was safe here. He could trust Steve, couldn’t he? 

Bucky’s metal arm whirred as his fist clenched in his hoodie pocket and he had to resist every instinct in him that urged him to flee now. He’d promised he’d watch over you until Steve got back. He could run after Steve was distracted with you and your recovery. He could sneak out then . . . 

The rustling of sheets sounded and Bucky’s eyes flew open as you climbed out of bed shakily and gripped his arm. You pulled his flesh arm out of his pocket and flattened it against your chest even as your knees shook underneath you. 

“Feel that?” You asked softly, keeping your eyes on Bucky’s hand and not on his. Bucky nodded dumbly. 

“Listen for it.” You urged. 

Bucky strained his ears, tuning out the sounds of the medical equipment and his own frantic heartbeat. He listened to the steady rhythm of yours that synced with the slow beating he could feel dancing under his palm. 

“Hear my heartbeat? Focus on that.” You urged. You reached out a hand, slowly bringing it towards Bucky’s head, giving him time to pull away. He didn’t. You ran your fingers through the long strands carefully as Bucky grounded himself with your heartbeat. 

He closed his eyes and let the tears fall, uncaring of who saw, as you continued your gentle ministrations. “I know Steve likes to tell you that you’re safe here, James.” You said softly. “And you are. But more than that, you’ll be CARED for here. If you stay.” 

Bucky’s eyes slowly lifted to yours, guilt clearly written across his face. You shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly. “You didn’t have to say it. I’ve seen this face before.” 

Your hand slipped from his hair and trailed down his face, gently tracing the lines and bags. Bucky’s eyes fluttered shut as your gentle hands stroked his face. 

For a long minute, Bucky let you stroke his skin before he felt your body start shaking. Then, he opened his eyes and gently pushed your hands aside. He pushed to his feet and led you back to bed. “You should rest.” He said softly, helping you back into bed. 

You smiled softly. “Can’t. I want to be here when it gets here.” 

Bucky’s brow furrowed. “When what gets here?” 

You smiled enigmatically as the door opened. 

Steve glanced between you and Bucky with a strange look on his face. Bucky stepped back quickly, stuffing his hands back into his hoodie, and turning his gaze to the floor. 

“Sweetheart.” Steve murmured. “You’re awake.” He came towards you with a relieved smile on his face. 

“And fit as a fiddle.” You chuckled. 

Steve shook his head in exasperation. “Sure, you are sweetheart. I'd be willing to bet Dr. Banner would agree too.” He said sarcastically. 

You chuckled and held out your hand. Steve took it and squeezed it tightly. “You get it?” You asked softly. 

Steve let out a long-suffering sigh. “Yeah, doll. I got it. We’re going to have words about what it is and what you did later though.” 

You nodded seriously although your eyes were already starting to drift shut. You gestured at Bucky. “Well? Give it to him! I want to see his reaction.” 

Bucky glanced up sharply as Steve leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead. 

When he straightened, there was a tender look in his eye as Steve held out something he’d been hiding behind his back. 

Bucky took the small package nervously and glanced down at you. You could barely keep your eyes open but you waved weakly. “Go on, open it.” 

Bucky glanced at Steve who nodded. 

Bucky reached down and gently peeled the brown paper back. Something caught in his throat as he saw what was inside. 

“Focus on my heart beat, Barnes.” You whispered as Bucky’s hands started shaking. 

He nodded absently and kept the gentle sound in the back of his mind as he reached out and touched the leather-bound journal that had held the keys to his fate for the past seventy years. “How . . .” He had to pause to swallow the lump in his throat away. “How’d you get it?” He asked, looking up at Steve. 

Steve gestured at you. “She found where they were keeping it.” 

Bucky’s eyes trailed to your sleepy face and he shook his head, unable to explain what it meant to him to have the book in his possession now. You seemed to understand anyway. 

You reached out a hand and when he reluctantly placed his in yours, you squeezed his fingers weakly. “Happy birthday, Sarge.” You murmured before you slipped asleep again. 

Bucky sucked in a deep breath and squeezed your hand once before he gently laid it on the bed. 

Steve watched closely as Bucky’s eyes traced your sleeping form, but he didn’t say anything as Bucky took a silent moment to thank you for the gift in his own way. 

Then Steve reached over squeezed Bucky’s shoulder. “Happy Birthday, Buck. Welcome to the family.” 

The two soldiers shared a small smile before their eyes turned to you. 

With two sets of protective eyes on you, you slept peacefully dreaming of blue eyes and sad smiles and a whole lot of love in between.


End file.
